Green Options

In an unexpected U-turn, the U.S. Senate has agreed to continue to back research for the next generation of hydrogen cars - funding that the Obama administration had earlier proposed to cut.

The move came last Thursday as Senate members voted to commit $187 million to hydrogen research, almost as much as was promised before the indecision.

The time has come to make a CHOICE. For the economy, future generations and for the sake of nature!

We must decide who will reign the title of the 2009, Green America People’s Choice Award!

“The People’s Choice Award is a celebration of the leaders of the green economy, and a challenge to corporate America to follow their path.”

In order to get nominated these businesses must pass Green America’s screening process. Green America only chooses businesses that are socially and environmentally responsible.

So, without further ado;

Meet the Top 10 Nominees…
(Listed in alphabetical order.)

Thanks to Organic Baby Products 101, I discovered Satoko Asai is the impressive designer for Sckoon, a division of Nagyar Group, Inc. The company has been making baby clothes at least six years from Demeter-certified 100% Egyptian organic cotton.

The Demeter Egyptian cotton is super-soft, absorbent and breathable. Plus it’s the rarest, most luxurious fabric in the world. Both individuals and retailers are invited to shop online for baby clothes, toys, diapers, and women’s menstrual pads.

Back in September, I wrote about the XPrize Foundation’s “What’s Your Crazy Green Idea?” video contest that they were sponsering on YouTube. Three finalists have been chosen from the 133 entries received, and it’s time for viewers to vote for one of the Crazy Green Ideas after viewing the three choices.

I just finished viewing all three videos which are under 2 minutes each:

Energy X Prize: Reduce Home Energy - This idea has communities competing against each other to reduce energy consumption. The winning community would get a hefty prize.

Our favorite environmentally-friendly Titanic Star, Leonardo DiCaprio, is the force behind the recent (ironic) “Don’t Vote” PSAs starring Eva Longoria, Dustin Hoffman, Ellen, Ashton Kutcher and more!

With Election Day less than 24 hours away, Leo wants you to know that now is your chance to vote (the environment).

This article is part of EcoWorldly’s week-long spotlight on Politicians You Can Believe In. To read more, subscribe to our RSS feed, or view our posts about politics.

“Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that generation” - Nelson Mandela, Make Poverty History rally, Trafalgar Square, London, UK, February 2005

What makes a political leader to be great? What makes a generation to be great? To think of it, one word defines it - sustainability. Would this, then, be a moral issue or an economic issue?

Does the world’s population today — both older and younger segments — understand the social dilemma that the next generation of leaders just on the threshold of global influence find themselves in?

Yes, next generation of leaders. Because we can no longer hedge our hopes and beliefs and inspirations on leaders who are stuck in the time warp of old politics.

This week, EcoWorldly presents political leaders from around the world who have had significant positive effects on the environment and society. View more on our posts about politics, or subscribe to our RSS feed, as our international team of writers uncovers political leaders with truly positive track records.

Believe it or not, inspiring and effective political personalities do exist. Not only that, but they are the sort of figures a country should expect to lead them.

With the US presidential election on the doorstep, both the candidates are bandying promises of “change.” This week’s spotlight, Political Leaders You Can Believe In, will seek to reveal politicians who have already succeeded in delivering on the promise of positive change. In doing so, we hope to raise the bar for the US presidential candidates and encourage voters to hold the candidates to some of the following pledges.

Look at how gorgeous these TOMS wrap boots look:

Recently we did a feature called~TOMS Shoes for Tomorrow, Giving Gifts to the Poor as You Shop …and their amazing cause to bring shoes to poor children in Africa.

Now we are back on this topic because they’ve been nominated for the Cooper Hewitt People’s Design Award. Here is a message from TOMS: “Last year, TOMS Shoes was fortunate enough to be recognized with the Cooper Hewitt People’s Design Award. This year we got lucky again“,

With all respect (and perhaps some thanks) to Mr. Gore, taking action on climate change is now a major political issue as well as a moral issue. This is particularly true for U.S. voters this year, who are trying to decide on their nation’s next president.

The successful presidential candidate will be responsible for leading his/her nation in reducing its carbon emissions, increasing its fuel efficiency standards, and developing its nascent clean energy industry.

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Voting, it turns out, may be good for the environment. The World Resource Institute asserts that "a growing literature supports the idea that political freedoms may be as important as economic factors in improving environmental quality." So if you’re concerned about the state of the environment, make sure that you’re expressing your political freedom by voting. (Remember, without registering at least a few weeks before an election, you can’t vote — even

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Today’s podcast is a follow-up of my earlier article, Opinion: California Governor Nixes Industrial Hemp While North Dakota Moves On. I felt it necessary to further investigate the North Dakota story and help bring you up to date on other activity around the country.

Twenty-eight states have introduced hemp legislation and fifteen have passed legislation; seven, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, West Virginia and North Dakota have removed

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